A story about a dog
by Vic of Thor
Summary: My first try to write something in English. It's a story about Geralt, Yen and a dog. I just wanted to see how interesting I can make it.
1. The letter

\- What day is today?

\- Who knows? Who cares?

\- You're right. It's just a day...like yesterday was...like tomorrow will be.

Life in Toussaint was too beautiful for them. Happily ever after is fine for Cinderella and Prince Charming, but boring as hell for action people. Unfortunately for them, Geralt and Yennefer were action people. They thought that when everything will be over they'll find peace, and peace will be everything they would ever need. Soon, they found out that peace had a close, unseparated friend named boredom. So, after few months of perfect, bucolic life, they both started to be annoyed by the same routine. Like many things in life, dreams and reality had nothing in common.

Each day they followed the same routine. They both woke up late, long after the morning had passed. Some days, when they didn't feel like it, they didn't leave the bed at all. The advantages of having servants included having breakfast, lunch and dinner delivered straight to the bed. They didn't complain about the boredom, They knew how much they fought for the privilege to be bored. Nevertheless, they both started to notice its presence more and more often.

One day Geralt woke up earlier than usual. He got used to the mess that reigned in their room. Yennefer didn't exactly care about whereabouts of her belongings as she was getting ready for her nightly rest. He suspected her mess-loving attitude was in fact a reminiscence of her childhood, the young Yen that was forced to have her room clean and, still, even after all the years, she still rebelled against those times. He didn't care. He wasn't himself an order lover either.

He left the room and went to see their major-domo, who despite his name was more like a friend than employee to him now. Basil was the reason why the rest of the house was the exact opposite of the bedroom, he made sure everything was clean and in perfect order.

\- Morning!

\- Good morning, sir, what a beautiful day, isn't it!?

Here in Toussaint every day was beautiful, thought Geralt, even rain could be beautiful.

\- Yes it is. Anything new? He put him this question daily, with a hidden wish for something to happen.

\- No, sir. Nothing new. Here is the mail. Geralt took the letters and went back into the house. He sat down by the table, taking his time to open the envelopes. For months, letters were the only thing that brought fresh air into his life. Today however everything was as usual. Bills to pay, advertisements for a barbershop and a blacksmith... the last one was a letter wrote at flowery stationery. He was about to open it when Yen came from the other room. The obsidian star at her neck was the only thing she was wearing.

\- Geralt, why did you get up so early?

\- Morning, I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake you up. Had I told you how beautiful you are?

\- Every morning and I still can't get enough. Come, let's get back to bed, it's still early.

She came closer, put her arms around his frame, and brushed her lips to his earlobe.

\- What is that letter? A secret lover?

\- No, I think it's another invitation to the court. Some sort of party. I'll throw it away...

\- Open it, let's see what it is. Maybe...I don't know, do you think we should go? You know, just for fun?

\- Anything you want, Yen.

Despite the answer that sounded like submission, Geralt was extremely happy for a change. An invitation to the court was not a monster to kill, but something entirely else. Even the idea of wearing official clothes that cooled his blood on other occasions didn't seem as horrible as always. A shift in the routine was more than welcome.

\- Anything new today?

\- Same as usual. Toussaint's a paradise now, nothing bad nor interesting ever happens here.

\- Remember how much we dreamt at this peace?

\- And now we finally have it.

\- We're becoming two old people, Geralt.

\- And this is a bad thing?

\- I don't know. I have you. I always dreamed about this...

\- But you need something more...

\- Yes. No. I don't know...

\- I know. I feel the same. We're not old enough to be two old people.


	2. The party

The day finally came. Yen was ready to go long before Geralt. The advantages of magic includes the fact that one can adjust the small details that need to be adjusted faster than a normal human being, even if that human being is a witcher. Waiting for Geralt, the sorceress began to think at the past. A thought was coming again and again in her mind, that small sad note that from time to time was making her melancholic. She never had the chance to see Ciri growing. Ciri was her daughter, she loves her like her daughter but she...She came back to reality when she heard the door. When she saw Geralt, Yen was amazed. She has seen him wearing elegant clothes before but he always wore them because he had to. This time he wore them with pride and for that reason he looked better than ever before.  
\- Wow, Geralt!  
\- What?!  
\- Nothing...I'm not used to see you like this. You look wonderful.  
\- Well...  
He didn't know how to answer. In the past days, he considered elegance a nonsense. Now, when he got nothing better to do, he had all the time in the world to think at what he'll wear. He even found this new occupation somewhat funny.  
\- Basil helped me a lot with this, you know I have no idea about elegant clothes. He knows everything about colours, sizes and other things I didn't know about. Did you know the shoes' colour must match the colour of the clothes?  
Geralt realized that Yen must know everything about fashion. Since the first time he has seen her she was always perfect dressed. That day was no exeption.  
\- Yen, you look more beautiful than ever!  
\- Oh, come on. This dress is last year's fashion. I didn't think I will ever go to a royal court again. But it's the best I can do in this situation.  
\- Doesn't matter the dress. You're beautiful.  
He kissed her. Every kiss remembered them of the first kiss, yet after all the things they have to go through, they felt every kiss like it could be their last one. So every kiss was their first and their last.  
Basil coughed softly from the front door:  
\- The carriage is waiting for you!  
The palace represented Tussaint perfectly. The spectacular heaven named Tussaint was perfectly described by the equally spectacular royal palace.  
\- Wow, Geralt, this palace is quite impressive!  
\- Do you think so?  
\- I don't think I have ever seen a more elegant palace. These people know what luxury and elegance is.  
Soon after they arrived there, Geralt remembered why he hated royal courts so much. He couldn't stand all that superficiality in one place. Every woman looked like a doll, every man seemned to be a peacock. He hated both dolls and peacocks.  
But Yen seemed to have a lot of fun. He thought at the old Yen, the ice queen that acted like she had the world at her feet, but this Yen was nothing like it. She was smilling a lot and she greacefully and warmly had a good word for all the people they met there. And they were a lot, it seemed like whole Toussaint was invited at that party.  
\- Geralt! We are so happy to finally see you!  
The dutchess came out of the middle of the crowd surrounded as usual by her perfect dressed ladies in waiting.  
\- Your majesty! Geralt bowed slightly. It is an honour to meet you again! You're beautiful as always!  
\- Thank you, Geralt! It is a pleasure for us to see you again!  
\- Your majesty, let me present you my wife, Yennefer of Vergenberg.  
\- Of course, we know about Yennefer of Vergenberg the greatest sorceress of our times.  
\- Thank you, your majesty, you're too kind. I'm a retired sorceress now and I'm happy about it.  
\- Greatness never fades, Yennefer.  
If only Philippa could hear this, thought Yennefer. Their rivalry was not easy to be forgotten and the memory of the rival sorceress was still alive in Yennefer's mind.  
\- Geralt, why didn't you come earlier? I sent you tens of invites.  
\- I apologize, your majesty...  
He was saved by Yen.  
\- We needed time to recover after the past events, your Majesty.  
\- We can understand that. You are forgiven. How do you find Corvo Bianco, Yennefer?  
\- It is magnificent. Never dreamt a place as beautiful as this can exist.  
\- I know, right? Toussaint is the best place in the world! Oh, I almost forgot! We have something for you two. Maurice!  
A major-domo came out of nowhere.  
\- Maurice, go and bring the present we have for Geralt! Then she returned to Geralt and Yennefer.  
\- We hope you two will stay in Toussaint forever. It is a great privilege to home the saviours of the world, a privilege which all the other royal courts in the world envy us. We have a small present for you. Our royal hound, a Great Dane, gave birth few months ago to eight beautiful puppies. We kept one especially for you. Since you kept avoiding our invitations, he grew up a bit. He's not a little puppy anymore but he's still yours.  
-A...thank you, your majesty!

The unexpected present took them by surprise. Neither of them ever considered having a pet. The puppy brought some problem in their lives. First of them appeared the day after the party when Yen, with a serious expression on her face came to Geralt, who was sitting on a log, oiling his swords.  
\- Geralt, we need to talk!  
\- It sounds serious. Something happened? He couldn't read anything on his wife's face.  
\- We must talk about the puppy's name.  
Geralt's mistake was he thought Yen was joking. So he tried to keep it up the same way.  
\- What's to think about, Yen? Roach is a perfect name for a horse, I don't see any reason why we won't name the puppy the same name.  
\- Are you serious?!, Geralt didn't notice Yen's nervous voice.  
\- Roach is a practical name. And I won't have any problems trying to remember it.  
\- You won't call the puppy Roach!  
\- But why? Roach is a...  
\- Your horse's name is Roach! One Roach is enough! Yen was almost yelling but Geralt went on with his jokes.  
\- If you don't like Roach, we can call him Lambert...  
\- Geralt! The witcher finally realised that Yen didn't joke about it. She was angry. He didn't see her angry in months. When she was mad she had something menacing yet appealing. In that moment he loved her even more, yet he didn't like it to see her like this.  
\- Ok, ok. What do you want to call it then?  
\- I don't know.


	3. Raven

Raven was not exactly what Geralt called a good name for a dog but he didn't want to challenge Yen about it. He liked the dog anyway. Not as much as his wife did though, because the sorceress took care of the puppy like it was a child. Geralt always thought dog's place is outside the house, to keep the thieves away. Yennefer had other ideas so Raven lived in the house, with them. He was sleeping at their feet in the nights, he was going with them chasing birds in the long walks they took in the beautiful Toussaint and he was waiting patiently in the warm afternoons when Geralt and Yen read together. Long story short, Raven, the Great Dane, became a part of their family.  
And, as a part of the family, he had to be thought manners. Yennefer made dog's training her responsibility. She spent many hours trying to teach Raven how to be a good dog. In this period she learnt some things.  
\- God damn, Raven, why are you so muddy?! There is no water in miles!  
Yen has discovered a dogs' secret quality: to find water and mud where they don't exist.  
\- Raven, for fucks sake, stop! Stop, I said!  
She has also found out that one does not simply stops a dog that wants to hug his master.  
\- Look what you've done! Now I need to change this dress! It's ruined! Bad dog!  
The third thing Yen has discovered that day was that she couldn't be mad with Raven when he looked up at her with that puppy eyes.  
-Oh, come here. But never do that again, ok?

.

One day, the unexpected happened.  
\- Raven!  
Geralt has just finished his lunch when the unexpected Yennefer entered the room like a storm.  
\- Geralt, where is Raven?  
\- I don't know. Maybe he's chasing some birds or a cat.  
\- No, he always comes when I call him. What if something happened to him?  
\- He's a big dog, he can take care of himself.  
\- Geralt!  
The way she called his name wasn't menacing, it was more like a prayer. The witcher understood.  
\- I'll go see what happened to him.  
\- i come with you!  
Old habits never die. He didn't track anything for months, years maybe, but everything came back to him naturally. The smell, the signs, he didn't have the smallest problem getting Raven's track.  
\- Can't we go faster?  
\- Yen, I'm doing the best I can. Tracking is not that easy, you know?  
\- I know...what if something happened to him, Geralt?  
\- Nothing happened to him. Try to stay calm.  
\- If you tell me to relax one more time I'll...  
Yen was desperate and nothing could calm her now. The retired witcher understood nothing can calm her in this moment.  
Soon, Geralt heard some sounds.  
\- Do you hear it?  
\- No, What should I hear?  
\- Nothing, stay here.  
\- Not a chance!  
\- Yen...  
\- I'm not a little girl Geralt, I can take care of myself!  
Knowing he has no chance to change sorceress' mind, Geralt pulled his sword out and took the lead. Soon, they found the black dog fighting for its life with 3 wolfs.  
\- Yen, watch out! Stay away, I'll try to...  
He didn't get to finish. He heard Yen saying something in an unknown language and soon lightnings were thrown from her hands in the wolfs' direction. They all start running and howling.  
\- But...  
He realized he doesn't have anyone to talk to. Yennefer called the dog. Raven turned around and came with his slow, lazy steps, like nothing happened.  
\- How did you get here?  
\- I think he was chasing a bird as usual or a rabbit and he went too f...  
\- If you ever do that again to me, your puppy eyes won't save you anymore, understand?  
Geralt looked at them. He felt how he hated the way Yen hugged the dog, he hated the way he didn't exist for her in that moment. It was the first time when Geralt felt jealousy. For a dog, at least.  
The sorceress looked at him and started to laugh.  
\- How can you think that, Geralt? Sometimes I think you're just a big boy. But you're my big boy, I love you and I always will. Come, let's go home.


End file.
